The world of cinema has lost an icon with the passing of Shaji N Karun, master filmmaker, cinematographer, and one of the country’s most profound visual poets. He was 73.
His movies depicted grief, not through grand gestures, but through the small, almost invisible fractures of the heart. His death feels eerily familiar, as if one were living inside one of his own stories. The same heavy silence now wraps his admirers.
He is best known for his acclaimed films Piravi (1988), Swaham (1994), Vanaprastham (1999), and Kutty Srank (2009).
His debut film Piravi won the National Award for Best Director and received the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
Swaham also travelled to Cannes, becoming only the second Indian film to be selected for the competition section.
Vanaprastham won widespread national and international recognition. At the time of his passing, he was serving as the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.
Born in 1952 in Kollam, Shaji grew up in a household rich in cultural awareness. His father worked in the revenue department while his mother nurtured his love for literature and classical arts.
In 1963, the family moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where Shaji studied at Palkulangara High School and University College. In 1971, he entered the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, graduating in 1974 with a gold medal in cinematography. His graduation film Genesis had already started to turn heads.
He spent the first decade of his career behind the camera, working with filmmakers like G Aravindan and K G George. His cinematography in films such as Kummaty, Thampu, Esthappan, and Yavanika showed his excellence in handling light, rhythm and emotional depth. His visuals became the story rather than just accompanying it. Influenced by classical Indian aesthetics and European art cinema, Shaji developed a language all his own.
In 1988, he made his directorial debut with Piravi, inspired by a real-life story from India’s Emergency era. Without confrontations or melodrama, the film portrayed a father’s endless search for his missing son that conveyed an overwhelming sense of absence. His ability to capture silence, waiting, and grief marked him as a filmmaker of rare sensitivity.
Swaham followed a woman’s battle with fate after the loss of her son. Vanaprastham delved deeper into themes of artistic loneliness and social invisibility, offering one of Malayalam cinema’s most artistically ambitious works.
Filmography
As Director
Piravi (1988)
Swaham (1994)
Vanaprastham (1999)
Nishad (2002, Hindi)
Kutty Srank (2009)
Swapaanam (2013)
Olu (2018)
Notable Work as Cinematographer
Kanchana Sita (1977) – Director: G Aravindan
Thampu (1978) – Director: G Aravindan
Kummatty (1979) – Director: G Aravindan
Esthappan (1979) – Director: G Aravindan
Pokkuveyil (1980) – Director: G Aravindan
Chidambaram (1985) – Director: G Aravindan
Yavanika (1982) – Director: K G George
Major Awards and Honors
National Film Award for Best Director – Piravi (1988)
Caméra d’Or – Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival – Piravi (1989)
Kerala State Film Award for Best Director – Swaham (1994)
Kerala State Film Award for Best Director – Vanaprastham (1999)
Vanaprastham selected for the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes (1999)
Piravi and Swaham widely screened and honored at international festivals including Cannes, London, and Locarno
Padma Shri Award – Government of India (2011)
Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres – Government of France (2019)